Supreme Court Temporarily Pauses Biden Administration’s Efforts to Regulate Ghost Guns

The Supreme Court has granted a temporary pause to the Biden administration’s efforts to regulate so-called ghost guns. The 5-4 order from the court came hours before a temporary pause issued by Justice Samuel Alito was set to expire. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the three liberal justices to freeze the lower court’s ruling, while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh said they would deny the request from the Biden administration to revive the rules.

Ghost guns are firearm-making kits available online that people can assemble at home. The Biden administration issued the regulations last year to tackle what it claims has been an abrupt increase in the availability of ghost guns. The regulations were invalidated by a lower court decision, but the Supreme Court’s order will allow the enforcement of the restrictions while legal proceedings continue.

The Biden administration has argued that the regulations are necessary to protect public safety, as ghost guns are untraceable and unregulated. The regulations require that anyone who buys a ghost gun kit must undergo a background check and register the weapon with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Opponents of the regulations argue that they infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. They argue that the regulations are overly burdensome and will make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to obtain firearms.

The Supreme Court’s order is a temporary measure, and the legal battle over the regulations is likely to continue in the lower courts. The outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for gun control in the United States.